'Parks Day' to Help Celebrate Open Space in Mahwah

This fall, Mahwah will be officially celebrating it’s reputation as “Bergen County’s Parkland,” and the township’s Environmental Commission is working to make sure the celebration is one residents will enjoy, and remember.

The first-ever “Mahwah Parks Day” is happening October 12, thanks to a $1,463 grant the Commission received from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions. The ANJEC grant is one of 22 awarded to towns across the state this year in an attempt to enhance the use of open space, and promote awareness about Environmental Commissions.

“Towns applied to use the grants in different ways,” Gregg Sgambati, chair of the Parks Day Committee in Mahwah, told Patch. “We thought, since there are so many parks here in Mahwah, this would be a good way to raise awareness.”

The Parks Day is designed, he said, to make locals more aware of the open spaces in the township, and how they can be used.

To do that, the Commission is encouraging groups in town to host a variety of different events at the township’s parks that day.

“We’ll likely have a three-piece band performing at Winter’s Park, and some remarks from township officials there,” as a way to centralize and kick-off the event, Sgambati said.

The Commission is also working with the NY-NJ Trails Conference to create a map of the township highlighting all of the municipal, county, and state parks within Mahwah’s borders to give out to residents at Mahwah Day, scheduled to happen two weeks before Parks Day.

A few other township groups have already expressed interest in participating, and Sgambati said he hopes more will get involved, as well. Some potential ideas for events the Commission would like to see groups offer include:

• A nature-walk
• An outdoor photography tour
• A bird walking tour
• Painting lesson or demonstration at the Reservation
• Historical tours
• Outdoor recreation activities

“We hope people will come outside and have fun that day, really enjoy it,” Sgambati said. “We’d love to hear ideas of what activities people would like to see offered.”

Any group interested in hosting an event on Parks Day can reach out to Sgambati at 201-783-5133 or citizen.gregg@gmx.com.

And, Patch wants to know your ideas for events you’d like to see at Parks Day. Comment below with your suggestions for the Environmental Commission.